What are the forces on a tied down glider?

Andy wrote:


On Aug 13, 11:01=A0am, Eric Greenwell
wrote:
I see gliders tied down in a bewildering variety of ways,
all apparently
"adequate" in the owner's mind.

Perhaps the real question is how well does it have to be tied
down to
satisfy the insurance company that you were not negligent.

Another significant factor is what is it tied too. We seem to
take
for granted that tie down wires etc that we find at the
airport are
secure, but I've seen a whole line of cable and the anchors
pulled out
of the ground. I used to trust the rings on the ramp at Hobbs
until
one year I cleared all the dirt out of the hole and found the
rings
corroded almost all the way through. Last time I flew there I
dug
around until I found a good one and tied the CG hook to it.

Seems like wing and tailfeather covers should help some. Maybe
a lot. The full covers I've seen (Jaxida) hang down a lot of
covering beneath the wings and horizontal stabs/elevators. To my
eye the covers might be far more effective than even open
spoilers in destroying lift.

--
Doug

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